Lewis w



L. W. NEWTON.

WIRE CLOTH STRETGHER.

(No Model.)

Patented July 1, 1884.

lUNiTEE @"lA'lFS TEE'T Erica.

LEWIS CLINTON WIRE CLOTH COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

WIRE-CLOTH STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 301,259, dated July 1, 188 1.

Application filed March 15, 1884. (No model.) v

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEWIS W. NEWTON, of Clinton, in the county of \Vorcester, State of Hassachusettahave invented a certain new and useful Improvement in lVire -Cloth Stretchers, of which the following is a description sufficiently full, clear, and exactto enable any person skilled in the art or science to which said invention appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which-- Figures 1 and 2 are isoinetrical perspective views representing my improved stretcher as used in applying wire lathing to the walls and ceiling of a room, respectively; Fig. 3, a like view representinga modification of the invention; Fig. 4,-a transverse section of one of the standards or side rails, taken on the dotted line 00 w in Fig. 3; Fig. 5, a side elevation of the roller detached; Fig. 6, sectional views showing the method of using the pawl-levers, and Fig. 7 views of the pawllevers detached.

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures of the drawings.

My invention relates to that class of wirecloth stretcher-s which are employed in applying wirelathing to the walls and ceilings of rooms; and it consists in a novel construction and arrangement of they parts, as hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed, by which a more effective and desirable device of this character is produced than is now in ordinary use.

lhe nature and operation of the improvement will be readily understood by all conversant with such matters from the following explanation.

In Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, A A represent the standards or supports of the stretcher, which are centrally connected by the crossrails m and form the frame-work or body of the machine. J ournaled horizontally in the lower portion of the standards there is a wind lass, l3, providedwith means for revolving or turning the same, and with suitable locking or retaining mechanism, as hereinafter described. The body of the windlass is provided with a series of short pins or spurs, t ,W]1lCl1 pass through the meshes of the cloth and prethe Windlass may consist of a hand-wheel,-

pawl-levers, crank, or capstan lever, and the retaining mechanism of an ordinary ratchet wheel and pawl, a belaying-strap or any other suitable device, as preferred.

In Fig. l the Windlass is represented as provided with cranks G and a ratchet-wheel and paw], D, and in Figs. 2 and 3 with capstanlevers E and an adjustable belaying-strap, G.

A guide-roller, H, is journaled in, the upper portion of the standards, and provided at either end with an annular flange or narrow boss, 2, having a diameter slightly greater than that of the roller,th e object ofthe flanges being to keep the body of the roller from pressing against the wall or ceiling of the room when the stretcher is in use, and to permit the cloth to pass freely over the roller.

To adapt the stretcher for usein rooms differing in height, I construct it as shown in Fig. 3, in which A A represent the main standards, and d d cross-bars connecting the same.

Fitted to slide longitudinally in suitable ways, 1", formed on the upper portion of the standards A A, there are two auxiliary standards, J J, connected by the crass-hart at their lower ends, and carrying the guide-roller H at their upper ends, as shown in Fig. 3.

A series of holes,.l, are formed in the upper portion of the standards A A, and a corresponding series, I, in the lower portion of the standards J J, the holes being adapted to register as the auxiliary standards are moved up or down. Pins t, adapted to enter the holes Z, are provided for securing the standards at any desired point, thereby rendering the body of the stretcher extensible.

Instead of the crank C or capstan-lever E, a pawl-lever, K, may be used for turning the Windlass, if desired, the windlass being pro vided with the ratchetuvheel and retainingpawl. D. The lever K is bifurcated, as shown at w, and provided with an ordinary pivoted clutch-pawl, L, adapted to engage the ratchet wheel, the bifurcated end of the lever being passed over the journal of the windlass, as

shown in Fig. 6.

In the use of my improvement for applying,

I cloth is wound onto the windlass and the stretcher placed in an inclined position, with its upper end leaning against the top of the wall in juxtaposition to the ceiling, the free end of the cloth being passed over the guideroller H and hanging vertically against the furring, as shown in Fig. 1. The lower end of the cloth is then secured at f by means of staples, nails, hangers, or in any other suitable manner, after which the windlass is turned to produce a strain on the cloth or to stretch it smoothly over thefurring and locked by the ratchet and pawl or strap, as the case may be, after which the cloth is secured at proper intervals from the top of the wall downward to the floor, and cut off from the web or roll preparatory to applying another strip.

In applying the lathing to the ceiling of the room, the free end of the cloth is passed under the guide-roller H, thence over it and back along the ceiling to the opposite side of the room, as shown in Fig. 2, and after being secured at its extreme end is stretched by the windlass and additionally secured and cut off from the strip in substantially the same manner as described for applying the lathing to the walls.

It will be seen that my improvement obviates the necessity of constructing a stage on which to place the stretcher, as required when ordinary stretchers are used; also, that it is unnecessary to cut the cloth into strips until after it is applied, or partially applied, to the walls or ceiling, thereby preventing waste from raveling at the ends of the strip 5 and, furthermore, that a uniform strain will be exerted on all of the warp-wires, and the meshes of the cloth thereby prevented from being distorted.

The flanges .2 may be omitted if desired, the standards A or J as the'case may be, being extended sufficiently above the guideroller H to keep it out of contact with the ceiling and wall; or abar may be placed across the top of the standards above the guideroller, if preferred, and subserve the same purpose' The body of the windlass may. be round, square, hexagonal, or of any other suitable form. The cross-bars connecting the standards may also be omitted, and instead of the pins 25 and holesl, for securing the standards A J, as any suitable means for the same purpose may be employed. Neither do I confine myself to any special means for revolving or turning the windlass, or for locking or securing it, as these features may be varied as desired, so long as devices which perform substantially the same functions asth ose shown are employed.

Having thus explained my invention, what I claim is 1. In a stretcher for applying wire lathing to the wall or ceiling of a room, the following instrumentalities, to wit: a windlass on which the wire-cloth is wound, standards or supports in which the windlass is journaled or mounted, means for revolving the windlass, means for retaining or securing the wind-- lass in any desired position, and a roller or bar over which the cloth passes in stretching it, all combined and arranged to operate substantially as set forth.

2. In a stretcher for applying Wire lathing to the walls or ceiling of a room, the standards A A, carrying the windlass B, and provided with the holes Z, the standards J J, carrying the roller H, and provided with the holes Z, and the strap G, and pins t, combined and arranged to operate substantially as specified.

3. In a stretcher for applying wire lathing to the walls or ceiling of a room, the combination of the following instrumentalities, to witi awindlass on which the wire-cloth is wound, standards in which the windlass is mounted, means for revolving the windlass, means for locking or securing the windlass in any desired position, means for rendering the 

